


Seven Nation Army (Couldn’t hold me back)

by ang3lsh1



Category: Final Fantasy VIII, X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Charles is a BAMF, Erik Is a BAMF, Gen, God Tier, M/M, Mercenaries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-25
Updated: 2015-01-25
Packaged: 2018-03-09 00:31:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,406
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3229460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ang3lsh1/pseuds/ang3lsh1
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The one where Erik is a SeeD candidate in search of a compatible Guardian Force.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Seven Nation Army (Couldn’t hold me back)

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to my betas **kageillusionz** and **afrocurl** for letting me know that this is legible. Any remaining mistakes are my own.
> 
> Title comes from the song by **The White Stripes**.

_The role of every Garden is to plant a SeeD, what it blooms into is entirely it’s own choice._

The thrum of the metal hums beneath Erik as he sits in the transport ship, waiting for them to dock in Dollet’s harbour.

Galbadia had been acting up again and this time SeeD has been deployed to try and calm down the insurgents. Normally Erik wouldn’t deign to take part in this sort of skirmishes - he prefered to take on information gathering missions, and if they generally concentrated on finding one particular individual, well, no one thinks to question a SeeD of his rank. However this time informants had reported signs of Shaw in the area.

He closes his eyes as he tilts his head back against the cool metal hull behind him, willing the time to pass, ignoring the rest of the SeeD candidates who were nervously pacing. Any other SeeD would have probably tried to reassure the candidates: _You’re going to be fine, just remember your training and the drills from the training grounds. You’ve got this, you’ll pass and become a SeeD like us. We all went through the same thing._

But not Erik, he doesn’t recall being that nervous during his own exam.

“That’s him, Erik Lehnsherr, the one that tamed Charlemagne.”

Reflex causes Erik to reach for the globus cruciger that’s always kept on his person. It grows warm to his touch, as though it’s leaning into his palm. Soothed by that, Erik thinks back to the first time he met Charles.

***

Between Erik’s affinity for metal and lightning spells, he knew that the only thing holding him back from becoming a full-fledged member of SeeD might be his inability to successfully junction on a Guardian Force.

He knew he had the theoretical skills, he had the practical skills, he just hadn’t had the chance to actually find a Guardian Force that has been compatible with him, not for the lack of trying but even Shiva, the most easygoing of all Guardian Forces couldn’t remain Junctioned to him for more than a few hours at best. His temper far too mercurial for her to soothe, Ifrit would only inflame him more, and despite his affinity for lightning, Quezacotl deemed him too hot-headed.

How was he going to make the SeeD entrance exam when he couldn’t even pass the most basic of requirements to undertake said exam?

And he needed to make SeeD. It wasn’t so much the perks the title came with - he didn’t care so much about the pay, though it was a nice bonus, more importantly what mattered was the wealth of information he would have access to as a member of the most prominent mercenary group in the world. With that in his grasp, surely it would be easier for him to flush out Shaw. Though he had years to toil under Garden before he reached the age where he had to make SeeD or be kicked out, he wanted this as soon as he could.

With that in mind, Erik ventured out to seek out other Guardian Forces which brought him to the abandoned Westchester Garden. Despite the long, empty years, the Garden itself was pristine, no sign of dust covered the surfaces. Perhaps the caretakers had remained even though everyone else had left, yet there was no sign of anyone as he made his way up to the Headmaster’s office.

He had heard rumours of the black lamp, kept in the Headmasters office of Balamb’s Garden. When rubbed the party were transported to a world devoid of light, shrouded in shadows where the candidate would battle Diablos and tame it as their Guardian Force should they prove themselves capable of surviving the battle. But Erik was far from Balamb and perhaps he might be able to find something similar here.

Seated upon the centre of the Headmaster’s desk was the globus cruciger, ornate as it was ostentatious, with a large sapphire set in the centre of the cross, outlined in rows of seed pearls. It was clearly the most valuable object in this room that hadn’t been looted and if Erik’s suspicions were correct as to why it remained here - well, he’d find out soon enough as he reached out to clasp the elaborate orb.

Erik expected to be pulled into some sort of alternate dimension, given the rumours about the lamp. Instead the globe of the cruciger split into half in his palm and he was immediately blinded by the bright light that shone forth.

His free hand pulled his _sansetsukon_ from its holster and a deft shake of his wrist reformed it into a two bladed lance. Its reach would be too long for a comfortable fight but at least Erik would be able to defend himself from whatever came. He couldn’t risk casting a Thundara for fear of getting caught in the spell's range.

Instead Erik pulled himself into a defensive position as the globus cruciger in his hand floated into the space before him and shone even brighter before dropping into the open palm of a young man.

The man’s slight stature and careless manner of his dress - his chestnut hair adorned with a majestic crown, adorned with sapphires and seed pearls, in contrast to the simple white tunic belted with a strip of leather - didn’t seem to pose much of  threat to Erik except for the light that emanated from his sheer presence.

“We are Charlemagne. Who wakes us from our slumber?”

His voice echoed as he affixed his gaze upon Erik - blue, bright and consuming like the heart of stars, threatening to swallow him whole. There was no mistaking it, the man that stood before Erik was a Guardian Force.

“Ah, once again you have come to seek us. Well now, we shall see if your service should suffice.”

Erik steeled himself, bracing for a head on assault.

Instead Charlemagne’s very presence unfurled in his mind, warming the corners of his mind, forcing him down to his knees, his lance clattering to the ground, as Charlemagne dipped and swerved into every crevice, like sunlight bearing down upon him, revealing everything there was to know, revealing his hidden secrets, bringing them straight out into the sunlight. Which had been terrifying enough, what was worse was the knowledge that Erik didn’t mind the invasion. Instead he even yearned to give himself over, to bear his entire soul and mind to that warmth, the way a sunflower chases the sun with it’s face.

This thought brought him up cold, and gave him back enough of himself to force himself to unbend his knee, enough strength to struggle back up. He had fought through everything and if this Guardian Force seeked to turn him into another subservient pawn - regardless of how warm and comforting Charlemagne’s presence in his mind was - just as the previous headmaster of Genosha’s Garden had, well Erik had survived just as well on his own.

Erik refused to be any one’s pawn ever again.

He would just have to rely on his own abilities to become a SeeD.

Just as Erik succeeded in drawing himself back up onto his feet, Charlemagne withdrew completely from his mind, the expression on Charlemagne contemplative.

“Well, it seems that we are well-matched. We consent to this contract. You may call us Charles and call upon us in your time of need.”

With those words Charles withdrew back into the globus cruciger that hung in mid-air before dropping lightly into Erik’s open palm.

***

As though summoned by the mention of his name, Charles appears beside Erik, his hand seeking out Erik’s hand instinctively as he leans in, breath like sunlight warming the lobe of Erik’s ear.

“We have scanned through Dollet, unfortunately Shaw has left.”

Erik clenches his fist in anger and jerks away from Charles, ready to get up and storm away even though there is nowhere for him to leave this ship; evidently this had been a wasted venture, but Charles takes his fist and gently uncurls it before clasping Erik’s hand as he reaches up to tug on the hairs on the nape of Erik’s neck, to whisper in his ear. “We did not come for naught, we have learnt where Shaw is now and it’s en route from Dollet, so do not fret, love.”

His grin is enough to show why Erik earned the moniker Dire Wolf. The hunt is back on.

**Author's Note:**

> Translation notes:
> 
>  **Guardian Forces** : Summons that can be equipped to characters that offers immense stat boosts.  
>  ** _sansetsukon_** : can be found [here](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-section_staff) I had Final Fantasy XIII's Fang's weapon in mind.  
>  **Garden** : Basically a boarding school, most them the students graduate into SeeD if they can pass the entrance exam. They are only given so many attempts and a age limit to pass said exam.


End file.
